PICK: Historic Tree Walk

See the trees: Monticello may get all the hype, but James Monroe’s Highland is a hidden gem nestled in the rolling hills just outside of town. Get familiar with the lore of the woods in Monroe’s old stomping grounds during a 45-minute Historic Tree Walk. A Highland guide takes you through the fields and forests […]

PICK: Reds, Whites, and Bluegrass

Uncork the celebration: Celebrate the Fourth of July with fine Virginia wines and original mountain Americana provided by the Tara Mills Band at Reds, Whites, and Bluegrass. The group’s blend of folk, bluegrass, and old-time country draws inspiration from the hills and hollows of the Blue Ridge, as well as the rich musical traditions that […]

PICK: Celebrate Us

Mountain high: There may be no better way to reconnect with our friends and neighbors this summer than watching the Celebrate Us fireworks display from Carter Mountain. Take the gorgeous view of the Blue Ridge mountains, add local ciders, craft beers, barbecue, ice cream, and donuts. Top it off with live music, dancing, and a […]

Dairy market, mac ‘n’ cheese

By Will Ham Dinner winners Congrats to the six recipients of Bread & Roses kitchen scholarships. The local nonprofit, an outreach ministry of Trinity Episcopal, has awarded each winner $2,000 to rent space in the church’s commercially licensed kitchen. Eric Agee of Agee’s Catering & Concession has operated a food truck out of Fluvanna for […]

Lifting spirits

Ivar Aass and his wife, Sarah Barrett, moved to Charlottesville from New York in 2012 with a singular purpose: to distill high-quality spirits in a place that, in Aass’ own words, has “heaps of local pride and an understanding and appreciation of all good drink and food.” In 2015, Aass and Barrett’s Spirit Lab Distilling […]

Howling and howling

Combining a classic whodunit with werewolves may seem like an awkward fit. But in Werewolves Within, the two elements complement each other, resulting in a hilarious, bloody blend that avoids feeling bloated or tonally confused. The second feature from actor-turned-director Josh Ruben, Werewolves Within comes hot on the heels of his directorial debut Scare Me, […]

The deep end

“You can’t paint swimming pools without thinking about class and thinking about race,” says Sharon Shapiro. Pools figure largely in “Social Fabric,” Shapiro’s show at Second Street Gallery. Originally drawn to swimming pools for aesthetic reasons and because “they’re fun to paint,” Shapiro began to dig deeper into their history. “We didn’t really talk about […]

Pick: Summer of Drag

Dragging your heels: The Summer of Drag celebration at IX Art Park features Virginia queens such as London Bacall, Christina Doll, and Enya Salad, who bring the glitz, glam, and body-ody-ody, as well as awe-inspiring death drops you never would have thought possible in stilettos. With hearty doses of lip syncs and laughs, summer is […]

Pick: Pride Party Happy Hour

Rally around the rainbow: Every day is pride day, but especially on Thursdays in June at Vitae Spirit’s Pride Party Happy Hour. The bartenders serve up rainbow-colored cocktails as they bop to a fabulous playlist, and you can peruse a selection of queer prints and artwork made by staff or enter a raffle benefiting the […]

Pick: La Bohème

Living on love: There’s something timeless about cash-strapped bohemians in love, which may be why La Bohème, first staged in 1896, has become one of the most performed operas in the world. Charlottesville Opera’s outdoor performance is updated to occur during the profound social changes of 1960s Paris, and the 90-minute abridged production features Charlottesville’s […]